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Germany and France:A strategy for growth

Wild Atlantic Way, Co. Kerry

Germany and France: A Strategy for Growth

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Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

An integrated strategy for France and Germany ....................................................................... 4

Executive summary ....................................................................................................................................... 5

Three key drivers of growth ................................................................................................................. 5

From strategy to action .......................................................................................................................... 5

Segmentation ............................................................................................................................................. 5

Brand ............................................................................................................................................................... 6

Product and experience ......................................................................................................................... 6

Industry and trade engagement ........................................................................................................ 6

Distribution and access .......................................................................................................................... 6

Implementation ......................................................................................................................................... 6

Current performance ........................................................................................................................................ 7

The German and French tourism markets ........................................................................................ 8

Targeted growth ..................................................................................................................................................... 9

Going for growth – 2014-2016 targets ............................................................................................... 10

Model for growth .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Key drivers of growth ................................................................................................................................... 12

Segmentation strategy ..................................................................................................................................... 14

A new approach to segmentation ......................................................................................................... 15

The priority segments in the German and French markets ................................................. 15

Brand challenges ................................................................................................................................................. 16

Addressing brand challenges ................................................................................................................... 17

Brand knowledge ...................................................................................................................................... 17

Brand relevance ......................................................................................................................................... 17

Brand differentiation ................................................................................................................................ 17

Product and experience ................................................................................................................................... 18

Current offering .............................................................................................................................................. 19

Developing experiences to stand out from competitors ........................................................... 19

Fostering industry and trade engagement ....................................................................................... 19

Contents

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Distribution and access ................................................................................................................................... 20

Distribution ........................................................................................................................................................ 21

Access ................................................................................................................................................................... 21

Measuring success ............................................................................................................................................. 22

Delivering growth .......................................................................................................................................... 23

Key performance indicators ..................................................................................................................... 23

Measurement ................................................................................................................................................... 24

Collaborating to succeed ........................................................................................................................... 24

Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................. 25

Appendix 1: Consumer segmentation in the French and German markets ................... 25

Understanding the segments ............................................................................................................. 25

Appendix 2a: Current brand strength ................................................................................................. 29

Appendix 2b: Driving brand relevance and differentiation ..................................................... 30

Appendix 2c: Linking segmentation to brand architecture ..................................................... 31

Appendix 2d: Implications – translating strategy and insights into action .................... 32

Appendix 3: The experience development strategy .................................................................... 37

Appendix 3a: Specific actions in product and experience development

to be taken by Fáilte Ireland ................................................................................................................... 37

Appendix 3b: Specific actions in product and experience development

to be taken by the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) .................................................... 40

Key actions to build experiences ...................................................................................................... 40

Other key actions ..................................................................................................................................... 40

Appendix 4: Fostering industry and trade engagement ........................................................... 42

Fáilte Ireland: Sharing insights ........................................................................................................... 42

NITB: Engaging our industry ............................................................................................................... 43

Appendix 5: Improving distribution and access ............................................................................ 44

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introduction

Dunluce Castle, Co. Antrim

Introduction

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Introduction

Tourism is the largest indigenous

industry on the island of Ireland and

employs more than 240,0001 people. It

is worth an estimated €5 billion/£4.1

billion a year to the island of Ireland.

Our sector supports thousands of

businesses, both directly and

indirectly, and is a key contributor to

economic and social wellbeing.

Growth from tourism will be a key

driver of future economic

development and job creation in both

the Republic of Ireland and Northern

Ireland.

All of us in the tourism sector are

committed to targeting markets with

high potential to grow revenue and

visitor numbers, such as those in

France and Germany. In 2012, these

countries together contributed 12 per

cent of all visitors to the island of

Ireland and 13 per cent of revenue.

Recent performance has been strong,

with Germany and France delivering

+35 per cent and +40 per cent growth

respectively in promotable visitors2

since 2010. The island of Ireland

competes well in these markets on

fundamentals such as brand appeal,

visitor experience, distribution,

competitiveness and access. We

believe both markets can deliver

sustained growth over the next three

years.

An integrated strategy for Franceand Germany

Set against this background, Tourism

Ireland in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland,

the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the

Irish Tourism Industry Confederation,

and commercial trade and industry

partners have completed a

comprehensive appraisal of the German

and French markets. Together, we have

developed a focussed plan to attract

more French and German

holidaymakers, deliver steady revenue

growth and increase market share.

In the course of this process, we:

l Carried out a thorough review of

existing market research and

intelligence

l Conducted original research, which

focussed on consumer motivations

and which has contributed to the

development of a segmentation

strategy

l Held a series of working sessions to

design a strategy for growth by and

for all those involved in our industry

This plan outlines the actions necessary

to deliver sustained growth for France

and Germany over the next three years.

We are all – agencies, organisations,

partners and companies – committed to

making consistent and concerted efforts

to realise this growth. By working

together towards our agreed goals, we

can maximise the potential return from

the German and French markets. This

will help both economies on the island

of Ireland to develop and grow.

1 Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) and Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) 2 Promotable visitors include holidaymakers, discretionary business travellers and students of English language training

(ELT)


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Executive summary

Germany and France are the island of

Ireland’s third- and fourth-largest

markets, respectively. Between 2010 and

2013, promotable visitors from France

and Germany to the island grew by +40

per cent and +35 per cent respectively.

Travel to Western Europe grew by just +5

per cent over the same period from

these markets.

We have set ambitious targets for 2014 to

2016, which are:

l Growth in promotable revenue of +29

per cent from Germany and +18 per

cent from the French market

l A +24 per cent increase in promotable

visitors from Germany and a +18 per

cent increase from France

Three key drivers of growth

1. Motivation-based segmentation –

we will focus on the consumer

segments we have identified as

offering the best-prospects and

develop a strategy guided by our

insight into and understanding of

what motivates consumers

2. Targeted motivating

communications – we will produce

specific and targeted

communications designed to reach,

resonate and influence best-prospect

segments to travel to the island of

Ireland

3. Distinctive holiday experiences– we

will offer experiences that targeted

consumers would seek out and value

highly

Improved access and distribution will

underpin these three drivers of growth.

The island of Ireland will need to remain

competitively priced to ensure the brand’s

value-for-money rating is comparable or

better than that of key competitors.

From strategy to action

We have specified and agreed areas of

focus to build on the three key drivers of

growth outlined above.3 These are as

follows:

l Segmentation of target consumers in

France and Germany

l Brand

l Product and experience

l Industry and trade engagement

l Distribution and access.

Segmentation

Our new approach to segmentation will

drive all communications, channel

selection, product development,

experience delivery and industry

engagement in France and Germany

(shaped to meet the nuances of both

markets – see Appendix 1). It will target

two main best-prospect segments:

l Culturally Curious, who want to

broaden their minds and expand their

experiences through landscape,

history and culture

l Great Escapers, whose principal

motivation is to enjoy the beauty of

breath-taking landscapes

In addition, both markets have identified

a third segment with strong potential,

particularly for short breaks and during

off-peak periods:

3 The market assessment and strategies focus on holidaymakers. The market teams will also implement separatestrategies to address discretionary business travel and English language training (ELT) (France).

Introduction

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l Social Energisers, who want to enjoya fun time with friends in places thatare new, unique and vibrant

Brand

The island of Ireland brand is strong inboth France and Germany. However,improving brand knowledge andensuring our brand continues to standout remain key challenges in acompetitive marketplace. Through ourbrand architecture framework (seeAppendix 2), we have identified specificholiday propositions that stronglyresonate with each priority segment inGermany and France.

This framework will guide thedevelopment and prioritisation ofcommunications, holiday itineraries, andproduct and experience developmentand delivery. Protecting and developingauthenticity is paramount to the successof the island of Ireland brand.

Product and experience

French and German visitors to the islandreport being really satisfied with their trip.The island of Ireland offers a range ofproducts and experiences that resonatewith and motivate German and Frenchtravellers. Improved value for moneyratings in the past three years havecontributed to reported satisfaction levels.

Finding ways to stand out from ourcompetitors will be a priority for those ofus in the tourism industry during productand experience development. Ourimproved insights into what reallymotivates our priority segments willguide how products and experiences aredeveloped and delivered. We will alsocarry out ongoing benchmarking and

study best practice in competitordestinations to guide and inform productand experience development.

Industry and trade engagement

We plan to share key insights andinformation about the French andGerman markets with our island ofIreland based and overseas tradepartners. By better understanding theneeds and motivations of the prioritysegments, our partners will be confidentin the development of new itineraries,new experiences and new productofferings. This steady stream ofinnovation will enable us to stand outmore from our competitors over time.

Distribution and access

Ireland is reasonably well served in termsof distribution; holidays to Ireland arewidely available to consumers in bothmarkets, but the distribution base must bedeveloped on an ongoing basis. Morespecifically, there is a need to increaseprogramming of Northern Ireland by touroperators in both France and Germany.

To improve access, we will focus onstrategically important air and sea routesfrom the French and German markets.We will identify new route developmentopportunities, capacity and seasonalrequirements because these willinfluence delivery of the target level ofgrowth.

Implementation

Agencies and industry are committed tocontinuing to co-operate to implementthis plan and truly realise the growthpotential of the French and Germanmarkets.

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currentperformance

Enniskillen Castle, Co. Fermanagh

Current Performance

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The German and Frenchtourism markets

The island of Ireland’s recent

performance in the German and French

markets has been positive. Aggregated

growth for 2010 to 2013 from both

markets in terms of promotable visitor

numbers was +37 per cent. This is

significantly ahead of the +7.9 per cent

growth seen in leisure travel to Western

Europe. Figures 1 and 2 below

summarise the growth in visitors and

promotable visitors.

Figure 1: German market performance 2010–2013*

*2013 figures are based on forecasts from Oxford Economics. Promotables to Western Europe are based on world leisure arrivals.

Figure 2: French market performance 2010–2013*

*2013 figures are based on forecasts from Oxford Economics. Promotables to Western Europe are based on world leisure arrivals.

The key fundamentals of brand, visitor

experience, distribution and access have

been pivotal in driving growth. Increased

competitiveness (with our value-for-

money rating improving significantly in

recent years) is a key element in the

island of Ireland’s recent success. We

must continue to deliver value for

money and compete strongly. This may

be especially important in relation to the

current difficult economic situation in

the French market.

Northern Ireland has not enjoyed the

same level of growth as the Republic of

Ireland in recent years. With this in mind,

we have collaborated to develop a

strategy to specifically and significantly

drive growth in Northern Ireland.

Island of Ireland 2010 2011 2012 2013 % change W. EuropeForecast 2013/10 % change 2013/10

Visitors (000) 399 431 451 478 +19.8% +3.5%

Promotables (000) 245 263 308 331 +35.0% +7.9%

ROI 242 261 307 329 +36.1% -

NI 21 26 24 25 +19.0% -

Island of Ireland 2010 2011 2012 2013 % change W. EuropeForecast 2013/10 % change 2013/10

Visitors (000) 356 399 404 439 +23.3% +9.4%

Promotables (000) 204 237 268 285 +39.7% +7.9%

ROI 201 233 265 281 +39.8% -

NI 17 25 20 22 +29.4% -

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targeted growth

Rock Climbing, Dingle, Co. Kerry

Targeted Growth

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Going for growth – 2014-2016 targets

Together, we have set challenging,

ambitious, but feasible targets for the

island of Ireland’s performance from

2014 to 2016. We will focus not only on

attracting more promotable visitors (a

long-standing key metric), but on

generating significantly more revenue

from the French and German

holidaymakers who visit. The most

recent Tourism Ireland Corporate Plan

2014-2016 embraces promotable

revenue as the key performance metric

for the organisation. Although not yet

widely adopted internationally, we are

confident that we can provide a

sufficiently robust measure of

performance against the revenue targets

and an indication of share improvement.

Figure 3 below gives a summary of our

growth targets.

Figure 3: German and French markets – targeted growth 2014-2016

Island of Ireland 2013 2014 2015 2016 Absolute forecast targets targets targets % growth

GERMANY

Visitors (000s) 478 495 540 581 +22%

Promotable visitors (000s) 331 354 378 410 +24%

Revenue (€/£ millions) 258 / 222 275 / 237 303 / 260 331 / 285 +29%

Promotable revenue (€/£ millions) 197 / 169 214 / 184 233 / 200 254 / 218 +29%

FRANCE

Visitors (000s) 439 459 485 512 +17%

Promotable visitors (000s) 285 299 317 336 +18%

Revenue (€/£ millions) 220 / 189 233 / 200 252 / 217 271 / 233 +23%

Promotable revenue (€/£ millions) 158 / 136 169 / 146 178 / 153 186 / 160 +18%

Meeting the targets will mean that the

island of Ireland’s share in Northern

Europe4 to move from 5.9 per cent to

6.3 per cent in Germany and from 10.5

per cent to 11.0 per cent in France.

4 Northern Europe – GB, Nordics (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland) and the island of Ireland

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model for growth

Galway Market, Co. Galway

Model for Growth

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Key drivers of growth

Relying on current momentum will

not deliver the targeted growth.

Furthermore, most stakeholders, from

agencies to industry, are likely to face

limited resources. Our sector must

commit to doing things differently

and better so that the island of Ireland

wins competitive advantage and

stands out from other destinations.

We will collaborate closely to develop

and implement strategies and actions

based on a deep understanding of

what motivates priority consumer

segments. The island of Ireland must

show it can deliver an experience that

motivates French and German

consumers. To achieve this, we need

a strong sense of ‘joined-up thinking’

from brand to experience, across

agencies and with industry partners

at home and overseas.

Through the course of the market

appraisal and in planning for future

growth, we have defined three

fundamental pillars. These are:

1. A motivation-based consumer

segmentation strategy that

clearly identifies the priority

consumer segments

2. Highly targeted and motivating

brand communications (content

and offers) that will resonate with

and influence the priority

segments

3. A range of distinctive

experiences that will motivate

target consumers and help the island

of Ireland stand out from our

competitors

Along with these, we have identified two

further areas for ongoing improvement

and development:

a) Access – we need to continue to

enhance, develop and promote air

and sea access

b) Distribution – we must optimise our

distribution (guided by the focus on

particular segments and the potential

of various channels to reach them)

These five elements are inter-related.

They form the basis for a model to drive

growth from the French and German

markets (illustrated in Figure 4).

The Little Museum of Dublin


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Figure 4: Model for growth

Principal focus for all – Tourism Ireland(TI), Fáilte Ireland (FI), Northern IrelandTourist Board (NITB), domestic island ofIreland industry and overseas trade

Enhance access andoptimise distribution(sales platforms)

Bundle existing experiences,uncover latent potential,enhance and developexperience portfolio based onmotivating propositions thatreflect segment needs (led byFI, NITB and industry)

Brand (led by TI)and offer (led by TI,industry and trade)

To build distinctiveness and competitive

advantage relative to other destinations

and realise our growth targets for France

and Germany, the island of Ireland must

excel in all of the areas shown in Figure 4

above.

1. Motivation-based

segmentation

2. Brandcommunications

Growth in Franceand Germany

3. Experience

Access and

distribution

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segmentationstrategy

Titanic Belfast, Co. Antrim


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A new approach tosegmentation

A key aspect of improving brandrelevance and differentiation will be theuse of our new segmentation strategy. A core focus of our work has been toidentify and prioritise consumersegments in the French and Germanmarkets. This is the next phase of aglobal, motivation-based, consumersegmentation model for the tourismsector.

In this approach, our focus is onunderstanding what motivates certaingroups of consumers and makes them‘tick’. This enhances the sector’s capacityto influence target segments.

We carried out research in France andGermany to:

a) Determine if the global consumersegments (as already identified)existed in both markets

b) Measure how motivated thesesegments are by the idea ofholidaying on the island of Irelandand what appeals to them

c) Identify the nuanced differencesbetween segments in the respectivemarkets

d) Assess the size and value of thesegments

By considering these factors, weidentified the best-prospect segmentsand determined the segmentationstrategy.

The priority segments in theGerman and French markets

Three segments, Culturally Curious, GreatEscapers and Social Energisers, emergedas priorities within the respective markets.(See Appendix A for more detail on thesesegments.) By default rather than bydesign, the three priority segments inboth markets are the same, howeverthere are some important nuances thatneed to be considered for each market.

This segmentation strategy will

permeate all the work we do to support

the performance of the island of Ireland

as a holiday destination in the French

and German markets. It is the key to

future success and will drive all plans and

activities including:

l Communications

l Channel selection

l Product development

l Experience delivery

l Industry engagement

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brand challenges

Trinity College Dublin


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Addressing brand challenges

According to the 2013 Brand Tracker

survey (see Appendix 2a), the island of

Ireland brand scores well on the key

dimension of ‘interest’. Like many other

destinations, however, it faces the

challenge of translating ‘interest’ into

‘actively planning a trip’ and ultimately

visiting.

Much of our future emphasis in both the

French and German markets will be on

translating high levels of brand affinity

(interest and intent) into actual bookings.

The new segmentation strategy (outlined

in the previous section) will be key in

addressing this.

By focussing on consumers who are

more likely than average to visit the

island of Ireland, our sector will be much

better positioned to:

l Actively influence them to choose it

as their holiday destination

l Facilitate purchase

l Deliver an outstanding experience

We must consider other dimensions of

the island of Ireland brand. We have

evaluated three key brand dimensions:

brand knowledge, relevance and

differentiation.

Brand knowledge

Almost all French and German

consumers are aware of the island of

Ireland, but their knowledge of it as a

holiday destination is relatively minimal.

Given the available resources and the

growth targets that have been set, we

cannot seek to generate broad-scale,

deep brand knowledge among German

and French consumers. Instead, we will

focus our efforts and resources on

developing relevant brand knowledge in

high-potential segments.

Brand relevance

Our research has found that the island of

Ireland holiday experience is highly

relevant and motivating for the high-

potential target consumer segments. We

will focus on increasing this level of

relevance and, in doing so, drive visitor

numbers.

Brand differentiation

The island of Ireland is not seen as

unique. French and German consumers

tend to go to a broad range of

destinations on their holidays. With this

in mind, determining the island of

Ireland’s competitive set is challenging.

For comparative purposes, the island’s

immediate competitive set has been

defined as Scotland, England, Wales and

the Nordic countries.

Although the island of Ireland offers a

compelling proposition in terms of

natural environment and landscape, so

do key competitive destinations. Our

research found that few destinations

achieved significant relevant brand

differentiation. We must develop an

offering that stands out from our

immediate competitors in the coming

years.

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product andexperience

Connemara, Co. Galway


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Current offering

Based on our research in the French and

German markets, we know the island of

Ireland has a significant inventory of

products and experiences that appeal to

the target consumer segments. In

summary:

l The satisfaction levels of French and

German visitors are high

l There are no obvious product gaps or

areas of concern, and the island’s

natural assets match many consumer

motivations

l Improvements in value-for-money

ratings in both France and Germany

have made the island of Ireland more

attractive. It now needs to remain

competitive.

The island of Ireland is not sufficiently

distinctive from its competitors when it

comes to product and experience. Our

focus will be on refining and sharpening

Ireland’s experience offering, ensuring

it is differentiated and tailored towards

the interests and needs of priority

segments.

Developing experiences tostand out from competitors

The current tourism asset base has three

elements where the island of Ireland

competes well – natural heritage, built

heritage and cultural heritage. We have

found, however, that these are not

enough to enable the island of Ireland to

stand out in the congested zone it shares

with competitors.

We cannot expect to stand out by

continuing to present our asset base as

we have in the past. We need to improve

the services we offer. We also need to

consider how bundling motivating

experiences that currently exist could

help us to stand out further.

The island of Ireland needs to address

the way we present products and

experiences to visitors and the way

visitors happen upon them. Consumer

insight will be key to guiding how we do

this.

Both Fáilte Ireland and the Northern

Ireland Tourist Board are taking specific

actions to address these goals, as

outlined in Appendices 3a and 3b.

Fostering industry and trade engagement

Our success in Germany and France will

depend on the degree to which we pull

together and work as a united force. All

stakeholders must act with target

segments in mind and, in doing so,

connect our efforts in communications,

experience development, and delivery

and sales.

To support industry on the island of

Ireland, the Northern Ireland Tourist

Board (NITB), Fáilte Ireland and Tourism

Ireland will take the specific actions listed

in Appendix 4.

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distribution and access

Cliffs of Moher, Co. Clare


21

Distribution

The island of Ireland is well served in

both online and offline channels in

France and Germany. To maintain this

strong position, we will continue to

constantly monitor and develop the

broader tour operator and niche

distribution base. New opportunities will

emerge over time and the sector will

respond to these to maximise growth.

The sector must continue to create its

own opportunities. Active face-to-face

(‘shoe leather’) selling will continue to be

a key driver in business generation.

Programming of Northern Ireland has

improved in France and Germany, but

further development is required and

there are plans in place to achieve this.

Island of Ireland presence on online

travel agency sites (OTAs) is good. The

OTA channel is set to expand further and

we will embrace it as an opportunity to

present the island of Ireland in more

‘shop windows’.

Access

There has been a significant reduction in

air capacity from France and Germany

since 2008 because of reduced

outbound and inbound demand and the

rationalisation of routes and airlines. In

spite of this, access remains relatively

strong and capacity is beginning to grow

again, particularly from Germany.

The forthcoming removal of the airport

tax in the Republic of Ireland will only

serve to support further access

development. Dublin remains the

dominant hub for holidaymakers from

France and Germany. It must be used as

a gateway to the entire island of Ireland.

Work is ongoing to identify new route

development opportunities and capacity

and seasonal requirements. Some initial

access wins have been announced for

2014:

l Bordeaux – Belfast (Easyjet)

l Munich – Shannon (Ryanair)

l Paris – Shannon (Ryanair)

l Hanover – Dublin (Aer Lingus)

l Berlin – Shannon (Ryanair)

l Cologne – Ireland West Airport Knock /

IWAK (Germanwings)

l Cherbourg – Dublin (Irish Ferries)

See Appendix 5 for more information on

the specific actions Tourism Ireland is

undertaking as priority.

Oysters, Carlingford, Co. Louth

22

measuringsuccess

Causeway Coast, Co. Antrim


23

Delivering growth

Implementing the full strategy and

action plan identified in the Germany

and France assessment will drive

accelerated growth from Germany and

France to the island of Ireland. This

should deliver 746,000 promotable

visitors and €440/£378 million in

promotable revenue in 2016.

Key performance indicators

We have put in place a specific set of key

performance indicators and a

measurement framework to focus

resources and drive towards achieving

targets. These are:

l Revenue – the promotable spend by

French and German holidaymakers

on the island of Ireland

l Visitors – the number of promotable

holidaymakers that visit the island of

Ireland

l Market share –the percentage share

of overseas travel from the French

and German markets (measured in

the context of our defined

competitive set)

l Channels – the number and

percentage of key trade partners

adopting the segmentation model

and experience types

l Experience development – the

percentage of German and French

holidaymakers who would “definitely”

recommend a holiday on the island

of Ireland

l Value for money – the percentage of

French and German holidaymakers

ranking the island of Ireland as “good”

or “very good” value for money

Gravity Bar, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin

Measuring Success

24

Measurement

We will track overall performance and

segment performance. Tourism Ireland

will monitor the island of Ireland’s

segment performance through its Brand

Tracker survey. In the Republic of Ireland,

Fáilte Ireland will conduct exit interviews

with departing French and German

holidaymakers. The Northern Ireland

Tourist Board, with the Northern Ireland

Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA),

will seek to do the same. Across the island

of Ireland, carriers and attractions will

gather real-time data to help monitor and

measure tourist numbers. In addition, and

in line with our commitment to grow

promotable revenue in particular, we will

work with both the CSO and NISRA to

report achievement against the revenue

targets. We will also measure success in

an international context in terms of share

of visitor spend versus key competitor

destinations.

Collaborating to succeed

The tourism agencies and the industry

have jointly developed a clear strategy to

drive accelerated growth and build

market share in the German and French

markets. This collaboration has produced

a powerful roadmap that, if followed, will

lead to sustained development in two of

the island of Ireland’s key markets. The

tourism industry must play their role in

developing experiences designed to

motivate our target segments.

Viking Tour, Dublin

25

appendices

Appendix 1: Consumersegmentation in the Frenchand German markets

Understanding the segments

The following three pages give a

snapshot of the three target consumer

segments. They answer the following

questions for each segment:

l Who are they and what motivates

them? (Broad demographics and key

motivations)

l What do they want from a holiday?

(Core needs and desired outcomes

from a holiday)

l What do they not want? (What

target consumers want to avoid)

l What are they most likely to do

while here? (Activities and

experiences likely to motivate

segments)

l What is their holiday behaviour?

(Likely accommodation choice,

duration of holiday and so on)

l What are the local nuances? (How

local profile differs from global profile

for the same segment)

The primary targets are the Culturally

Curious and the Great Escapers. We

have also identified a third important

segment – Social Energisers – which

matters because of its size and ‘warmth’

(a strong propensity to visit) towards the

island of Ireland. Social Energisers are

also important because, in targeting

them, the tourism sector can address

two key strategic objectives:

1. Grow visitor numbers through a well-

defined and compelling city break

proposition

2. Increase the relevance of the island of

Ireland as a year-round destination

by targeting this group for off-peak

and low season travel

By including the Social Energisers as a

target, the island of Ireland broadens the

scope of consumers it can attract.

Appendices

26

What do they want from a holiday?

l Authenticity is key

l Don’t want to be part of the herd

l Exploration and discovery is important to them

l Want to gain insight into a place and get

underneath its skin

l Enjoy connecting with nature and getting off

the beaten track

l Like to connect with people

l Enjoy learning and find culture in cities

interesting

What do they not want?

l Not on holiday to party

and will avoid this

l Don’t want to feel they are

doing the cliché ‘tourist’

thing

l Don’t want to interact with

other holidaymakers

What are they most likely to be seen doing?

l Exploring small towns and villages, experiencing history and culture

simultaneously

l Talking to locals to get a different take on the story of a place

What is their holiday behaviour?

l The Culturally Curious choose accommodation so that they can see and do as

much as possible, as well as get a local flavour. They stay in mid-range 4-star

hotels, self-catering and B&Bs.

What are the local nuances for France?

l Like to discover the unknown

l Less motivated by socialising and contact with locals

l More motivated by breath-taking beauty and landscape

What are the local nuances for Germany?

l Value peace and quiet and a different pace of life

l Have a strong coastal focus

l Slightly more active (enjoy outdoor activities)

Culturally Curious

Who are they?

l Tend to be middle aged (35-54)

l Likely to travel as a couple or with other adult friends

l Want to broaden their minds and expand their experiences through landscape,

history and culture

l Curious and keen to learn about the places they travel to

l Independent ‘active’ sightseers

l Want to encounter new places and out-of-the-ordinary experiences


27

Great Escapers

Who are they?

l Tend to be younger (25-45), with 40 per cent under 35

l re often couples, some with young children, or travelling with friends and older

family members

l Need time out from busy lives and careers

l Specifically interested in rural holidays


l Top of their agenda is to enjoy the

beauty of a breath-taking landscape

l More motivated by the beauty of the

landscape than its history (but they do

like to have some sense of a place’s

culture and history)

l Want to balance peace and quiet with

doing some activities

l Want to come home refreshed and

revitalised, with their batteries recharged

What do they not want?

l Don’t want to make

connections with locals or

other tourists while on

holidays. That is not a main

motivation or essential part of

their trip.


l Enjoying the beauty of breath-taking landscapes

l Visiting the coastline (this idea really motivates them)

l Exploring the landscape through walking

l Travelling through small towns on the Atlantic coast


l Great Escapers stay in hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation. Access to

beautiful scenery is the most important thing for them. They are more likely to

pay for services that are unobtrusive and give them uninterrupted time to

themselves.


l Less active than average when outdoors

l Slightly more interested in culture

l Less exploration-focussed

l Desire good food and wine


l Even greater focus on nature and rural settings

l Less interested in gourmet food

Appendices

28


l Fun and enjoyment with friends

l New experiences and exploring

new places

l Something unique and different

l Exciting and iconic activities

l The urban experience as well as

enjoying the adjacent landscape

l Lots to do in a small area – they

want to pack everything in

What do they NOT want?

l Peace and quiet is off the agenda


l Taking in iconic (but accessible) scenery

l Soaking up the atmosphere in a traditional pub

l Visiting attractions where fun or adventure is part of the deal – not just passive

viewing


l Social Energisers like to stay in hotels close to the action. They want to be

located where there is lots going on around them.


l More into partying as part of their holiday

l Motivated by beauty and nature

l Less inclined to engage in physical activities


l Like slightly more active experiences rather than partying

l Enjoy outdoor activities, such as cycling – an active way to enjoy scenery and

landscape

l Need to feel a sense of ‘freedom’

Social Energisers

Who are they?

l The youngest target segment, with about 42 per cent under 35

l Like to holiday in groups or as couples

l Look for places that are new, different and vibrant


29

Appendix 2a: Current brand strength

Every year, Tourism Ireland’s Brand

Tracker measures the relevance and

appeal of the island of Ireland as a

holiday destination. It specifically

measures:

l Interest – The percentage of people

who say they would be ‘interested’ in

taking a holiday or short break on the

island of Ireland at some time in the

future

l Intent — The percentage of

consumers who say they ‘intend’ on

taking a holiday or short break here in

the next three years

l Active planning – The percentage of

consumers who say they are ‘actively

planning’ a holiday or short break on

the island in the next twelve months

According to the 2013 Brand Tracker, the

island of Ireland brand scores well on the

key dimension of ‘interest’. Like many

other destinations, however, it faces the

challenge of translating ‘interest’ in to

‘active planning’ and ultimately visiting.

Strengthening this brand metric is

paramount. The island of Ireland has

shown it can significantly improve scores

relating to ‘active planning’, which

increased from 10 per cent in 2011 to 15

percent in 2013 in the German market.

Figure 6 opposite gives an overview of

brand tracker trends, showing where the

island of Ireland ranks relative to

alternative international destinations.

Figure 6: Brand Tracker ranking

FRANCE 2011 2012 2013

Interest 4th 3rd 3rd

Intent 3rd 3rd 3rd

Active planning 5th 5th 4th

GERMANY 2011 2012 2013

Interest 8th 9th 8th

Intent 9th 8th 6th

Active planning 10th 9th 9th

Source: Millward Brown Brand Tracker 2013 (Sample: 1,000 respondents per market aged18+ years, ABC1s, outbound holidaymakers)

Much of our future emphasis in both the

French and German markets will be on

translating high levels of brand affinity

(interest and intent) into actual

bookings. The new segmentation

strategy (outlined in the previous

section) will be key in addressing this.

By focussing on consumers who are

more likely than average to visit the

island of Ireland, the sector will be much

better positioned to:

l Actively influence them to choose it

as their holiday destination

l Facilitate purchase

l Deliver an outstanding experience

Appendices

30

Appendix 2b: Driving brandrelevance and differentiation

We will use the island of Ireland’s brand

architecture framework to address the

challenges and opportunities previously

outlined above (see Appendix 2a). This

framework provides a basis for developing

and communicating the experiences

deemed most relevant to priority

segments. It brings focus to all our

activities, helping to:

l Direct current communications

l Guide the configuration of holiday

itineraries in the medium term

l Support decisions on long-term

product and experience development

Under the umbrella of the destinations

master brand, and led by consumer

research findings, we have grouped the

island of Ireland’s tourism assets around

experiences, rather than by geography,

holiday needs or holiday type. Figure 7

below gives an overview of the brand

architecture.

Figure 7: The island of Ireland brand architecture framework

Brand promise: The island of Ireland is full of authentic immersive experiences

Brand essence: Immersion

Benefit: Joy

Tone of voice: Lively, upbeat, informal, witty, not taking ourselves too seriously

Reasons to believe:

• Our character: rich diversity of surprising, spontaneous and ‘only in Ireland’ experiences, which are authentic not staged,

both historical and contemporary

• Our characters: Ireland’s engaging people, freely giving insights into our culture, delivered in a fun, engaging, human,

conversational way.

Experience pillars that deliver the brand promise

Living historical

stories

Awakening the

sensesActive in nature Vibe of the city Connecting with

the people

Discover authenticstories in towns,villages and the

spectacular scenerythat bring Ireland’sliving history and

unique culture to life.

Stimulating, natural,multi-sensory

experiences arecreated by dramaticsettings and unspoilt

landscape

Connect with naturethrough revitalising

activities andexperiences in

spectacularlandscapes and

scenery

Engage in distinctiveand stimulating day

and night-timeexperiences in vibrant

towns and cities

Get under the skin ofthe place through

authentic, engagingexperiences with the

locals


31

Appendix 2c: Linkingsegmentation to brandarchitecture

Our research has identified the different

types of experiences that really motivate

the priority consumer segments in France

and Germany, and which the island of

Ireland can present in a credible and

engaging way. The experience themes

and their relevance to the different

segments are outlined below, with a

range of typical examples given for each.

Living historical stories

Discover authentic stories in towns,

villages and the spectacular scenery that

bring the island of Ireland’s living history

and unique culture to life. These include:

l Visiting World Heritage sites such as

the Causeway Coast

l Exploring the Glengowla Mines in

Connemara

l Visiting the ancient site of An Grianan

of Aileach on the Wild Atlantic Way

l Enjoying traditional pubs

l Taking a tour of the Bushmills

Distillery

Relevant to: Culturally Curious in both

France and Germany

Active in nature

Connect with nature through revitalising

activities and experiences in spectacular

landscapes and scenery, including:

l Enjoying beach and forest walks in

Ballycastle on the Causeway Coast

l Roaming through Killarney National

Park

l Taking in the beauty of Skellig

Michael

Relevant to: Culturally Curious in

Germany and Great Escapers in France

Awakening the senses

Be amazed by stimulating, natural, multi-

sensory experiences in dramatic settings

and unspoilt landscape. These include:

l Taking in the natural beauty and

isolation of Inishbofin Island

l Enjoying the Food Crawl in Kilkenny

l Exploring the Glens of Antrim

Relevant to: Great Escapers in both

France and Germany

Vibe of the city

(Tailored for the French and German

markets)

See vibrant cities (Dublin, Belfast, Cork,

Galway) with surprising experiences,

where city living thrives side by side with

the natural outdoors. Relevant

experiences include:

l Cycling through the beautiful

landscape followed by enjoying

music in a Dublin pub

l Enjoying the Belfast music scene

following a river cruise in the Titanic

quarter

Relevant to: Social Energisers in both

France and Germany

Along with all these themes, the promise

of experiencing authenticity at every turn

is integral to success in the French and

German markets. In addition, it is worth

remembering that both French and

German consumers in the primary

segments see the island of Ireland’s

coastline as a compelling and distinct

motivator. We should use it appropriately

as a key brand asset.

Appendices

32

Appendix 2d: Implications –translating strategy andinsights into action

The work on the German and French

markets has provided very clear strategic

direction and clarity around consumer

targets and these must inform the brand

and all communications by agencies and

industry partners if we are to maximise

growth from both markets.

Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 set out the key

strategic imperatives and actions that

Tourism Ireland will implement in the

next year and beyond.

Figure 8: France – key strategies

Focus resources in France by targeting our best-prospect and priority segments, which

are, in order of importance:

l Culturally Curious

l Great Escapers

l Social Energisers

Prioritise iconic experiences that resonate most strongly with priority segments. Focus brand communication on fewer, unique and compelling icons. We must mentionthe UNESCO stamp of approval whenever possible.

Bring the Wild Atlantic Way to life through brand-led and more tactical activities.

Use it to:

l Get French visitors to the island of Ireland to stay longer

l Encourage them to visit different parts of the island along with must-see Connemara

l Encourage them to visit again or repeatedly by recommending they do the entire

coastline in stages and continue onto the Causeway Coast

Showcase Northern Ireland as a must-see destination with unique attributes within

the overall island of Ireland experience.

Focus on Titanic Belfast, the Causeway Coastal route and unique historical heritage

as drivers of growth for Northern Ireland.

Use key account management (KAM) to:

l Identify partners with the greatest potential to convert interest into bookings

l Work with industry on the ground to create segment-focused itineraries and expand

programming along the Wild Atlantic Way (WAW)

Use KAM to identify partners that can extend programmes to include more overnights

in Northern Ireland and include experiences relevant to target segments.


33

Figure 9: France – key actions

Actions

Use global brandarchitecture to:

n Underline thedistinctiveauthenticity of ourdestination

n Prioritise the pillarsmost relevant toour prioritysegments

Define the mostappropriate mediamix for brandadvertising (offlineand online) for eachof the targetsegments, building onour experience inGreat Britain and theUnited States

Use segment-appropriate themesand experiences forpublicity and mediavisits – target print,online and TVpublications withstrong appeal for eachkey segment

Co-op campaignswith major accesspartners, online travelagencies (OTAs) andtour operators

Social Energisers

Vibe of the city

Web

Social media and blogs

Dublin Plus (with seaand mountains)

n New/cool Dublinn Pub atmospheren Traditional and

contemporary musicn Belfast city breaksn Unique experiences

Autumn and winter todrive business duringshoulder season

Great Escapers

Awakening the senses

TV

Web

WAW Causeway CoastalRoute

n Soft adventure(walking andcycling trails)

n Cottage rentaln Family friendly sitesn Castles and

gardensn Colourful towns

and villagesn Celtic heritagen Authentic

experiencesn B&B experience

Spring

Culturally Curious

Living historical storieswith a backdrop ofstunning scenery

TVWeb

WAW Causeway CoastalRoute

n DubLinen East Coast heritage

trailsn Derry/ L’derryn Food experiencesn Pub and trad musicn Castles and

gardensn Colourful towns

and villagesn Titanicn Celtic heritagen B&B experience

Spring

Appendices

34

Focus resources in Germany by targeting our best-prospect and priority

segments, which are, in order of importance:

l Culturally Curious

l Great Escapers

l Social Energisers

Filter all campaigns and communications through the lens of our key segments

and motivating experiences that most resonate with them.

Living historical stories and Active in nature will underpin all brand messaging

and provide motivations to travel. Awaken the senses will deliver the tone of voice

and atmosphere.

Make the most of offline and online assets to make the island of Ireland a

distinctive, compelling and authentic destination for our segments.

Strengthen knowledge of key iconic sites that resonate most strongly with

priority segments to deliver competitive standout. We must mention the UNESCO

stamp of approval whenever possible. The Wild Atlantic Way and The Causeway

Coastal Route will be the core anchors as they deliver best on key holiday

motivations and experiences of the top segments.

Showcase Northern Ireland as a must-see and must-include destination,

highlighting signature icons and experiences that appeal most to the motivations

of our core segments (for example, the Causeway Coastal Route).

Use key account management (KAM) tools to identify key partners in the market.

Support the creation of segment-focused itineraries and marketing. Liaise with

industry on the ground to provide appropriate programmes.

Use KAM to identify partners who can extend programmes to include greater

overnights in Northern Ireland and include experiences relevant to new

segmentation approach.

Figure 10: Germany – key strategies


35

Figure 11: Germany – key actions

Actions

Use key marketexperience themesto underpin allbrand messagingand motivate travelto the island

Showcase uniqueand motivatingexperiencesthroughout allcommunications

Publicity/mediavisits and contentmarketing will alsofocus on these

Culturally Curious

Use segmentationbelow to deliver toneof voice:n Living historical

storiesn Active in naturen Awakening the

senses

Raw nature: Pure, authentic andwild landscape (for example, WAW,Causeway CoastalRoute)

Towns and villagelife: Discoveringpicturesque, cosy butlively towns andvillages with flair (for example,Derry˜Londonderry,Kilkenny, Limerick Cityof Culture)

History and culture:Unique to the islandof Ireland (forexample, Dublin,Belfast, castles,monasteries, forts)

The ‘craic’: Typicallylively atmosphere,culture andconviviality (for example, foodmarkets and localpubs)

Great Escapers

Use segmentationbelow to deliver toneof voice:n Living historical

storiesn Active in naturen Awakening the

senses


History and culture:Unique to the island ofIreland (for example,Dublin, Belfast, castles,monasteries, forts)

The ‘craic’: Typicallylively atmosphere,culture and conviviality (for example, foodmarkets)

Social Energisers

n Active in naturen Way of life on the

island/connectingwith the people/meet the locals


The ‘craic’: Typicallylively atmosphere,culture and conviviality

Adventure in nature:For example, canoeingor kayaking, MarbleArch caves

Appendices

36

Figure 11: Germany – key actions (continued)

Actions

Select the mostvaluable media mixfor advertising(offline and online),for each of thetarget segments

Co-operativecampaigns withmajor accesspartners, OTAs andtour operators,targeting keysegments withspecific messaging

Culturally Curious

Spring

Awareness driver:TV advertising andonline

Engagement driver:Online

Planning andbooking:Online and co-operative advertising

Newspapers,magazines and radio:relevant for co-operativeadvertising/PR

SpringSummer travel

AutumnOff-season shortbreaks and stimulusfor next year’s travel

Great Escapers

Spring

Awareness driver:TV advertising andonline

Engagement driver:Online


Newspapers,magaziness and radio:relevant for co-operativeadvertising/PR

SpringSummer travel

AutumnOff-season shortbreaks and stimulus fornext year’s travel

Social Energisers

Spring/Autumn

Awareness driver: TV advertising (spill-over effect from TVaimed at CulturallyCurious and GreatEscapers)

Engagement driver: Social mediaOnline


Spring/AutumnOTA focus – citybreaks

Search engine marketing and content dissemination year round


37

Appendix 3: The experiencedevelopment strategy

This strategy needs to:

l Deliver strong motivation-based

experiences

l Ensure solid on-the-ground training

so suppliers are in tune with

consumers’ needs and desires

l Make sure destinations excel at one

or two things – the ‘hero’ experiences

needed to make them stand out as

‘must see, must do’ destinations

l Make it easy for holidaymakers to

access, interpret and engage with

‘hero’ experiences

l Drive collaboration with and across

key stakeholder groups

l Continue to innovate in how

consumer experiences are delivered

and presented

l Ensure all product suppliers buy into

the delivery of excellent motivation-

based experiences in a professional

and friendly way

l Pay attention to the nuances that

exist between markets in terms of

delivery (language, knowledge,

relevance and so on)

3a: Specific actions inproduct and experiencedevelopment (To be taken by Fáilte Ireland)

We have identified a number of key

actions to fully define the experience

development agenda. The global

segmentation model informs the

experience development strategy set out

below. The strategy also pays specific

attention to different nuances that have

been identified in the French and

German markets.

Key actions to build experiences

Short- and longer-term development

priorities across the Wild Atlantic Way

(WAW), Dublin, and South and East

Heritage programmes will be identified.

These priorities will be aligned with the

key consumer segments in France and

Germany. They will focus on:

l Natural heritage – unique, rugged,

unspoilt landscapes unlocked for

consumers, with greater emphasis

given to positioning Ireland as an

island with a dramatic coastline

l Built heritage – with emphasis on

World Heritage sites and ancient

monuments, such as megalithic

tombs and forts

l Traditional culture and folklore –

language, music, dance, song, myths

and legends

l Living culture – arts, festivals, crafts,

food, and daily life in town and

villages

Key short-term (2014) initiatives

Fáilte Ireland will activate the initiatives

listed below on the WAW, Dublin, and

South and East Heritage programmes:

l Investment projects

n WAW route signposting

n WAW ‘Top 15’ discovery point

development

n DubLine route

n Kilkenny Medieval Mile

n Cork city and harbour works.

Appendices

38

l Interpretation projects – a wide

variety of projects will be triggered

across all three programmes (while

protecting the sense of authentic

experiences)

n Create the ‘organising concept’ for

South and East Heritage

n Interpret and animate key

heritage stories in the

programmes

l Rollout of relevant Great Escaper

experiences on the WAW – for

example the 17km scenic walk along

and up towards the Cliffs of Moher

l Service enhancement – a bespoke

service-enhancement programme in

key tourism hotspots will be delivered

to ensure the service needs of

German and French visitors are

understood and fulfilled

l Community mobilisation – a series

of community engagement and

activation programmes will be

delivered to create a sense of

place/pride in place that underpins

the quality of the welcome in key

tourism hotspots

Other key actions

l Carrying out concept pre-testing of

additional and enhanced experiences

that will be market-ready in 2014 (and

repeating again later in 2014 for

experiences to be launched in 2015),

paying attention to both the German

and French markets

l Giving further consideration to the

supply-side challenge, while:

n Drawing on appropriate national

and international benchmarks

Kilary Harbour, Connemara, Co. Galway


39

n Seeking to identify prevailing

international good practice in this

area

n Undertaking relevant analysis and

insight gathering to enhance the

segmentation findings emerging

from the review

l Identifying and benchmarking best-

practice experience delivery around

the world, determining what and

where are the most relevant ‘best-

practice’ providers that the island of

Ireland can learn from

l Undertaking a competitive

benchmarking exercise assessing the

island of Ireland’s competitors in the

German and French markets to

provide guidance on how we can be

better or stand out more – we will

experience leading competitor offers,

such as Norway’s fjords, to gather

learning and insight that can guide

and improve the island of Ireland’s

natural environment experience

l Developing an ‘experience

development framework’ to ensure

cohesive action from “Ireland Inc” –

we need the right experiences,

delivered in the right way and sold in a

way that makes them easily accessible

l Developing a ‘new experiences

pipeline’ to ensure a flow of ‘new

news’ for French and German buyers

and consumers every year

l Developing a ‘commercialisation

framework’ for authentic experiences

that makes it easy for domestic trade

to trade internationally and ensure

“Ireland Inc” is ‘easy to do business

with’ from an overseas buyer’s

perspective. This will involve:

n Creating domestic experience

activation and sales activation

trade groups

n Developing targeted channel

management strategies for key

programmes and their constituent

experiences

n Delivering an international selling

capability building programme to

domestic trade

n Providing domestic trade with

‘best fit’ sales platforms and

opportunities

n Developing and implementing a

process to evaluate and

continuously improve experience

development

Connemara National Park, Connemara, Co. Galway

Appendices

40

Appendix 3b: Specificactions in product andexperience development To be taken by NorthernIreland Tourist Board (NITB)

The strategic review for Germany and

France has reaffirmed that Northern

Ireland has the assets to attract visitors

from these markets. Target segments’

motivations are closely aligned with

product and experience development

plans for Northern Ireland and the

Coast and Lakes and the unique

outdoors experience pillars.

The key proposition is Northern

Ireland’s coast and natural and built

heritage. The focus of NITB’s product

and experience development will be

to make our coast and landscape

accessible in a way that resonates

with the needs and motivations of our

French and German visitors.

Key actions to build experiences

To drive exceptional experience

development in Northern Ireland,

NITB will:

l Disseminate findings

l Working with industry to identify

and develop the key demand

generators for these markets and

provide a structure for them to

develop appropriate experiences.

(This will be facilitated through our

pillar engagement programme)

l Ensure these experiences are

represented in all communications

channels and are the focus of

media and trade familiarisation

visits, and trade representation in

market

l Deliver excellent customer service

based on a thorough understanding

of French and German visitor needs

and aspirations, including language

and food

Other key actions

As a priority, NITB will:

l Identify the key demand generators

for the Culturally Curious and Great

Escapers segments, as an

immediate priority

l Focus on developing experiences

along the coastal routes that appeal

to these segments

l Use the Giant’s Causeway (Northern

Ireland’s only UNESCO World

Heritage site and a world-class

visitor attraction) as the hook for

the area, encouraging visitors to

explore the rest of the Causeway

Coastal Route and potentially link

up with the Mourne Coastal Route.

l Support the appeal of the Coast by

building opportunities to

experience local culture and explore

the area further

l Promote the revival of the Victorian

Gobbins Path on the Causeway

Coastal Route – it was once one of

the most popular attractions on the

island of Ireland and offers visitors

the thrill of walking a cliff path

l Develop a plan and deliver an

industry engagement programme

that enables industry to meet the


41

needs of the target segments (helping

NI increase its market share)

l Support activity operators, who are

already creatively diversifying their

product to deliver experiences that

appeal to both the Culturally Curious

and Great Escapers, such as dive

school operators using their high

speed boat to offer sea safaris,

themed canoe trails with an

informative guide and night bike rides

through forest parks.

l Market walks as an opportunity to

experience unique views and wildlife

or linked to an historical event or

myths and legends.

l Realise the potential of

Derry~Londonderry to be both an

effective gateway for visitors from

France and Germany, given its long

rich history and vibrant cultural

scene, and a natural link between the

Causeway Coastal Route and Wild

Atlantic Way.

l Make the pub experience accessible,

especially for non-English speaking

visitors

Belfast City of Music Festival, Co. Antrim

Appendices

42

Appendix 4: Fosteringindustry and tradeengagement

Fáilte Ireland (FI): Sharing insights

1. Germany and France toolkits

(online/offline): These will be

developed and circulated. They will

summarise detailed research in user-

friendly language, drawing out the

key insights and their implications.

2. Germany and France ‘Market-

readiness assessment’ tool: FI will

put in place this self-assessment tool

to help domestic firms assess if they

are ready to sell into the German and

French markets (either directly or

through channel intermediaries).

3. Webinar (recorded interviews):

FI will record interviews that

summarise key findings of available

research. These will feature tour

operators, online travel agencies

(OTAs) and digital experts to explain

and emphasise key considerations

and insights for the industry on the

island of Ireland.

4. Web internationalisation awareness

workshop: FI will highlight how the

island of Ireland needs to excel online

if we are to appeal to German and

French consumers and be helpful to

channel intermediaries selling on our

behalf.

5. Industry/stakeholder briefings:

a) Workshops: FI will hold regional

workshops with providers from

the accommodation, food,

activity, attractions and events

sectors. FI will brief attendees on

the segmentation and trade

research findings. Then, FI will

facilitate creative workshops to

tease out our research findings

and use them constructively,

either in designing potential new

visitor experiences or improving

existing ones so they become

more accessible to French and

German visitors.

b) One2One briefings: FI will

individually brief major key

account and strategic partners

such as Incoming Tour Operators

Association (ITOA) members and

OTAs, and work to shape an

itinerary development agenda for

2014 to 2016.

Using insights

1. Key account management: FI will

identify, manage and agree

development plans with businesses

that are core to developing or selling

authentic experiences that are likely

to really motivate both German and

French consumers.

2. Experience development capability

building: FI will design and deliver an

experience development capability-

building programme to foster a

culture and competence in

consumer-led innovation among

tourism businesses.

3. Experience development clusters: FI

will mobilise cross-sector clusters of

domestic industry practitioners to


43

create new visitor experiences. These

can be market-tested and

subsequently commercialised if they

are found to appeal to German and

French consumers and key channel

intermediaries.

4. Sales development ambassadors: FI

will identify a range of businesses

that have the commercial acumen,

sales skills and market knowledge to

effectively sell key experiences into

Germany and France. FI will also give

appropriate support to these

businesses.

5. Sales capability-building

programme: FI will design and

deliver a broad overseas selling

competencies programme to

facilitate sustainable sales growth in

the 2014-2016 period.

Northern Ireland Tourist Board

Building on recent successes in terms of

industry engagement in respect of the GB

market, NITB is committed to developing

and delivering an industry engagement

programme which will support the

Northern Ireland industry to better

understand and meet the specific

requirements, needs and opportunities of

the key segments in France and Germany.

This will assist in our objective to deliver

an increased market share for NI.

Tourism Ireland: Engaging overseas trade

Tourism Ireland (TI) has identified a

range of key actions to support and

influence trade partners in France and

Germany. We will work to influence how

trade partners develop and

communicate itineraries and offers. We

will also take the key actions listed

below.

1. TI will ensure that overseas trade has

a deep understanding of the island of

Ireland’s segmentation strategy and

that it is motivated to use the strategy

in marketing programmes and sales

efforts. TI will support this effort by

putting in place toolkits (imagery,

content and so on) that will enable

trade partners to do this and by

implementing joint marketing plans.

2. Working with ITOA members, TI will

seek to ensure a cohesive approach

on product availability. Focussing on

the segmentation strategy, TI will

work with overseas trade partners to

build itineraries aligned with those

being developed by their

counterparts on the island of Ireland.

3. As new experiences come on stream,

TI will make sure trade partners are

aware of these new developments by

building them into familiarisation

trips and so on.

4. TI will engage with OTAs to see how

programmes can be promoted

through their channel. When OTAs

are already programming the island

of Ireland as a destination, TI will

encourage them to expand their

product offering and promote it more

widely (potentially through joint

promotions).

TI will develop a way for trade to offer

views on current experiences and those

under development (to ensure concepts

will appeal to German and French

consumers).

Appendices

44

Appendix 5: Improvingdistribution and access

Distribution

Tourism Ireland has identified the

following actions as key to improving

distribution:

l Aligning distribution and

segmentation strategy – we will

prioritise promotional opportunities

for those tourism industry partners in

France and Germany whose offerings

best match the needs of priority

segments

l Providing new promotional platforms

for island of Ireland tourism partners

to facilitate access to key segments

so they can more effectively close the

sale

l Ensuring Ireland.com information and

offers are focussed on the target

consumer segments

l Together with Fáilte Ireland and the

Northern Ireland Tourist Board,

seeking to enhance the digital

capability of the industry and trade

l Working with market operators and

their DMCs to increase Northern

Ireland programming and promoting

these programmes through co-

operative campaigns

Access

To continue to maintain and develop

access to the island of Ireland, Tourism

Ireland has identified and agreed the

following priority actions:

l To continue to concentrate

cooperative marketing resources on

those strategically important air and

sea routes that deliver the greatest

promotable visitor revenue from

Germany and France.

l To proactively engage with airports

and investors to make the case for

new, strategically important routes,

which would increase promotable

revenue and deliver direct access to

the island. Focus will be on:

n Increased seasonal capacity on

existing routes: Frankfurt, Munich,

Cologne, Paris, Toulouse, Lyon

n New routes, including

Dusseldorf–Belfast, North Rhine-

Westphalia/Lyon–Shannon/Ireland

West Airport Knock (IWAK)/Belfast,

some of which may be seasonal

l To pursue increased visitor revenue in

the shoulder and off season by

aligning marketing activities with

carrier promotional programmes and

by using co-operative campaigns to

extend the season

Giant’s Causeway, Co. Antrim

We wish to acknowledge the contributions of

the following organisations to the Steering

Group for these assessments:

Aer Lingus

Fáilte Ireland

Incoming Tour Operators Association (ITOA)

Irish Tourist Industry Confederation (ITIC)

Marketing Partnership Group (MPG) France

Marketing Partnership Group (MPG) Germany

Members of the Northern Ireland tourism Industry


Titanic Belfast

Tourism Ireland

Many members of the tourism industry on the

island of Ireland and our trade partners in France

and Germany gave generously of their time and

expertise throughout the course of the

reappraisal. These included: Aer Lingus, Ryanair,

Irish Ferries, Brittany Ferries, Guinness Storehouse,

IHF, NIHF, B+B Ireland, our Marketing Partnership

Groups (MPGs) in France and Germany amongst

others.

Tourism Ireland France, 33 rue de Miromesnil, 75008 Paris, France T: +33 1 53 43 12 35 F: +33 1 47 42 01 64 E: [email protected]

Tourism Ireland Germany, Gutleutstrasse 32, 60329 Frankfurt am Main, T: +49 69-92 31 85 0 F: +49 69 92318588 El: [email protected]

Tourism Ireland – EuropeHead of Europe: Finola O’MahonyNations House, 103 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 1QST: +44207 5183352F:+44 207 493 [email protected]

Acknowledgements

Tourism Ireland

5th Floor, Bishop’s Square Redmond’s Hill,

Dublin 2, Ireland

T: +353 1 476 3400 F: +353 1 476 3666

E: [email protected]

Tourism Ireland

Beresford House, 2 Beresford Road, Coleraine,

Northern Ireland, BT52 1GE

T: +44 2870 359200 F: +44 2870 326932


Fáilte Ireland

88-95 Amiens Street,

Dublin 1

T: +353 1 884 7700 F: +353 1 855 6821



St Annes Court, 59 North St, Belfast,

County Antrim BT1 1NB, United Kingdom

T: +44 28 9023 1221 F: +44 (0) 28 9024 0960


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